I was listening to Fresh Air on National Public Radio this morning while driving between clients and they were discussing the Spanish Court’s investigation of the Bush Administration’s role in the torture of prisoners detained at Guantanamo Bay. What caught my attention was the discussion of SERE School (Survival Escape Resistance and Evasion) having been used as justification for approval of torture. As a SERE graduate, I found what I heard somewhat disturbing and perhaps a bit misleading.

It was 1984 when I went through the US Navy’s SERE School as an Ensign, just prior to reporting to Patrol Squadron Forty as a Naval Flight Officer. At the time, all Navy Aircrewmen were required to go through SERE School to prepare them for the harsh conditions we were likely to face if captured by the enemy. The training was modeled after experiences that Prisoners of War (POWs) experienced in both Korea and Vietnam.

During this time, I remember how the North Vietnamese and Korean prisoner of war camps were portrayed. I can without a doubt say that the vast majority of naval officers felt that the techniques that were utilized on captured US military personnel were barbaric.

SERE School was not something you wanted to go through twice. It was a joke amongst Naval Aviators that our SERE School diploma was the only training document that we kept multiple copies of, to ensure that we could always prove that we had been through it so we wouldn’t have to go through it again.

SERE School was a week of intense training and included classroom activities as well as field exercises. The last part of the training was a survival and resistance exercise in the field. During the final 24 hours of this exercise, we were held in a mock POW camp. I say “mock”, but the line between reality and training was blurred pretty well.

Before I get into any specifics, I want to make it very clear that while intense, this was some of the best training I  received while in the Navy. The instructors, while intimidating, were consummate professionals. There were checks and balances throughout the program to ensure that while were we being tested, that we were in no way going to go through something we wouldn’t survive.

As part of the training, we had eaten very little and endured being in the field for a few days before being placed in the POW camp. We were tired, hungry, sore and of course filthy. The last 24 hours started off with a simulated plane crash and our release into the woods to practice our evasion techniques. If we were able to reach certain checkpoints undetected we were rewarded with a peanut butter sandwich.

Eventually, everyone entered captivity. If you were fortunate enough to escape the search parties who were firing weapons (blanks of course) and walking German Shepherds around the exercise area, you still had to surrender when the “all clear” siren sounded. Upon our capture, we were blindfolded and unceremoniously tossed into the back of a cramped truck which took us to the POW compound. Upon arrival, we were given War Criminal Numbers (I was War Criminal 62), and shoved into our little “spaces” (about the size of a dog house) which would be home for the next 24 hours. During our brief stay there we were interrogated and subjected to different kinds of simulated torture.

I don’t know what portions of the training have been declassified, so will stick to waterboarding as it has been in the news so much that it is basically common knowledge. Yes, we faced waterboarding in SERE School. Not everyone thankfully. But some did. During my class, one of our students was scheduled to become a SERE Instructor. He was subjected to much harsher treatment than the rest of us. Not as a right of initiation, but to ensure that he knew all aspects of the training and could relate to what the students were going to experience. I still remember watching him being placed on a board, strapped down, a washcloth placed over his mouth and water poured over his face till he was gasping for air. All I could think of was, “I hope I’m not next!” Thankfully, most of us were spared the waterboard.

While waterboarding in training may seem barbaric to some of you, let me remind you that back in the 1980s, the memory of torture of POWs in Vietnam and Korea was still very much alive. To think that we would be spared this kind of treatment if captured, was just a bit altruistic. The world can be a very nasty place. This training helped prepare us mentally if we were ever unfortunate enough to be captured.

What saddens me though, is how the US has now become like so many of our enemies of the past. This is going to upset you fans of 24, but I can’t stand that show because it advocates the use of torture to gain information, or to achieve a “higher” purpose. We need to be very careful in what we begin to believe is an acceptable course of action to achieve a purpose, no matter how honorable we might think it to be.

I remember watching the Hanoi Hilton (a film about the POW experience in Vietnam) and cringing at the torture that was dished out. It made me proud to wear the uniform of a US Naval Officer. Why? Because we were different. We were the ones being tortured and not the ones dishing it out. On a positive note, I was elated to here that all branches of the military advised the Bush Administration against the use of torture in Guantanamo Bay. The military knows it is a Pandora’s box. If we torture others, our servicemen and women will also face torture.

I know, there is the ultimate question. “Would you torture a terrorist or criminal if they knew the whereabouts of a nuclear bomb that was set to go off?” That is a tough question. However, I will say that research has proven that information gained under torture, is usually unreliable. How do we ever know when someone is telling the truth? My guess is that if someone was stupid enough to plant a nuclear device somewhere, that they would be insane enough to resist telling the truth. At least until it didn’t matter.

What I found disturbing in the NPR broadcast, was that SERE school was used as justification for using torture on the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. That it portrayed the torture methods used during the training as safe. That US personnel had survived it. What we faced at SERE School was a simulation. Yes it was harsh, but it was safe. However, I don’t know how I would have fared, if SERE School had lasted a year, and I was in a very different state of mind because my captors were real, instead of trained instructors. Going through one week of SERE School was bad enough – a year without constraints… a different animal.

Can we as man, not even agree that torture is always wrong??

All the best,
All the time,
JT

Leadership Principles

1. A leader must have perseverance and a willingness to press on… no matter what.
2. Attitude is everything!

Event
Katie was working in PR/Marketing during 2007 when she went on maternity leave after giving birth to her daughter. When she returned to work in January 2008, all was well. The future looked great… until, like many others in today’s economy, she was pulled into an office just three weeks after returning to work, and was told she was being let go. Katie was not to be deterred, and set about immediately looking for opportunities and landed another job as the Chief Operating Officer at a start-up. She was thrilled, more responsibility, more pay. What could be better? One year later, in March 2009, Katie found herself again a casualty of the economy, once more looking for work.

Background
I first noticed Katie Kemple on Twitter after she made a comment about a tweet. I went to check out her blog and was impressed with her style and her attitude. I thought to myself, “Katie gets it!” Although a casualty of the economy, it was obvious that Katie had the heart of a leader. Despite being on the job market for the second time in two years, she was upbeat, positive, and trying to help others at the same time.

I asked Katie for an interview, because she exemplifies the true heroes that surround us, that surround me. In the face of adversity, she is standing tall and movin on. Isn’t that what leaders do?

Katie’s Reflections

On Looking For Work

1. If you have young children and can afford it, keep their daycare arrangements in place. Looking for employment is a full-time endeavor and you will be able to focus on getting things done if your children are being care for.
2. If you keep a positive attitude, people will be more likely to offer to help you. I (Katie) received calls from many old work acquaintances, some who I barely knew, that offered to help me network.
3. Be willing to try something different. Moving from PR to being a COO was a great move and I learned a lot of new things.

On Staying Positive

1. Savor time and routine (Link to Katie’s Blog)
2. Do something creative with any spare time you have. Use this time to do the things you couldn’t while working. You could write, paint, sing or do whatever hobby helps you to relax.
3. Organize your week. Act like you’re at work, even though you’re at home. Some of the tasks might be different… like doing the laundry, but being organized will help you feel productive.
4. Take care of your body, and your mental state will be much better. I always found myself feeling better after I exercised.
5. Remember to appreciate the things in life that we sometimes take for granted.

On Giving Back – even though you’re out of a job

1. If you have time on your hands, try volunteering. It is a good way to contribute to society, and you never know who you might meet.
2. I started a blog to share my first layoff in February 2009. Little did I know that I was going to be unemployed again come March. The blog was meant to encourage others who are looking for work also. I found it refreshing to be able to share my experiences with others, hoping it would help them in some way.

After I finished interviewing Katie, I asked her if she needed anything. She paused, not able to readily answer my question. I smiled to myself as I realized I was right about Katie. Although looking for work, and in a position that none of us would enjoy being in, she hadn’t thought much about what she needed. She was just doing what needed to be done, and trying to help others. A true leader.

If you have any opportunities that might be helpful to Katie, feel free to contact her on Twitter (@kkemple) or check out her blog.

Greetings Leaders!

I was out on the internet this morning and found some sites that listed links to leadership blogs. I went through the lists, picked the best ones and compiled them for your reference. You can find them here.

I found it refreshing to see so many people with a heart for leadership.

All the best,
All the time,
JT

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Greetings!

This is the first blog in a series about Getting Control of Your Life. Click here for instructions on how to journal.

Do you ever feel like a marionette and think that there is some unseen force or persona pulling your strings… that your life is out of control… or at least beyond your ability to manage it?

Well, I have good news and bad news. Let’s start with the bad first. Life, to a certain extent, is beyond our control. The good news? While complete control of life is an illusion, reality is that we can firmly be in control of key components of it.

Philosophically, life is beyond our control. We cannot control things like earthquakes, illnesses, how people will react to us, the weather, or if we will fall victim to an accident.

However, just because we can’t control everything, does not mean that we shouldn’t control the things we can. We can control our attitude, our choices. We an control things like who we will marry (at least in the US), how many kids we might bring into this world (if you’re not in China), who our business partners are and how many friends we will have. We can control how we invest our time and money. We can control what we watch, who we hang out with. We can control what we eat, how long we sleep. There are a LOT of things we can control.

I have been blessed with a group of friends who know how to control the things they can. There is Wesley and Kathy, childhood friends of mine. When their daughter Stephanie was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, they dealt with it head on. Sadly, Stephanie passed away at age 16. I just had dinner with Wesley and Kathy a few weeks ago… they didn’t just roll over give up on life. They are living life to the fullest.

There is Fred. A navy buddy who I’ve known for over 25 years. His wife Dottie just passed away last year from cancer. When she passed away, she left behind 7 kids. The oldest 21 and the youngest is about 9. Dottie is my hero. She was a trooper. I cannot even begin to tell you how bravely she fought. How in spite of her illness that lasted years, she accomplished more than most stay at home moms I know who are perfectly well. Despite having become a paraplegic due to a surgery gone bad, she never made excuses. She drove here kids to school in special van. Fred put ramps in their home so she could get around. They took control of what they could and moved on.

There is Grace. A friend from high school who just finished her 12th chemo session. I’ve got her permission to share her blog. If you don’t know her, it might not make much sense, but her postings are pretty hilarious. Judging from her writing, you would never guess she was in real pain. She tells of her experiences with a lot of humor. I hope I can laugh in the face of adversity.

My point – to gain control of your life… you have to accept that you can control it. No more pity parties. Let’s stop worrying about the things we can’t control, and focus on what we can.

The economy seems to be the biggest thing on people’s mind lately. I know I think about it. I wonder about some of the choices I made over the years and sometimes second guess myself as to whether or not I did the right thing. But then… I catch myself. Who cares about the past. It is done. The only thing that matters is the present, and the future.

I love this quote from Kung-Fu Panda…

Yesterday is history…Tomorrow is a mystery…

but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.

So what about you? Do you accept the fact that you are in control of certain aspects of your life? That you are living the life you deserve? This is the first step in getting control of your life. Believing that you can… and more importantly… that you will…. step up to the plate, and gain control of the portions of your life that you can.

Journal Assignment:

Complete the following thoughts…

1. I am committed to changing my life because…
2. I feel that I have no control over my life when…
3. The things I have control over are… be specific. As an example… don’t just write, my attitude. What you need to put down is something like… My attitude when so-and-so or such-and-such thing happens to me.
4. End the Journal with some positive affirmations such as I believe that I can control key aspects of my life.

If you need to journal over a couple of sessions… go for it.

All the best,
All the time,
JT

Greetings…

I am starting a blog series on gaining control of your life. To get the most out of the series, I recommend that you start a journal. Go out and get a  nice journal from Borders or Barnes and Nobles. You might want to also get a special pen to write with. I use a fountain pen. It gives my writing a bit more meaning. Silly perhaps, but it works for me. I don’t recommend using a computer. I know, it’s more efficient… but it’s just not the same as writing it down in a book.

During the series, I will be giving specific assignments for you to do in your journal. Here are a few tips on how to journal.

1. Do it consistently. If you want to gain control of your life, you have to do something about it on a regular basis. If you journal often, you’ll see results faster.
2. Journal in a place and time where you can focus. This will be different for everyone. Perhaps you can get up 15 minutes early and journal at home in the morning. If that doesn’t work, try your favorite coffee house during lunch or after work. Perhaps just before going to bed is a good time for you. Your choice. Just don’t do it at the kitchen table while trying to help the kids with their homework. You get the idea.
3. Put on some music that inspires you.
4. Be open and honest.
5. Be careful what you write – Journals sometimes become public information. If  you want to write something down that you don’t want others to see, you might want to get a journal that has pages that you can rip out and then throw away. Or, get a second journal and keep a close eye on it.

That’s it. The first blog will be coming out shortly. Keep an eye out for it.

All the best,
All the time,
JT

I recently blogged about a group called the Sacramento Professionals Network. The SPN is an organization serving unemployed professionals. While there, I was disturbed by something I observed. There were about 30 people in the room, no one was under 30 years of age, and the vast majority were into their 50s and 60s. What gives?

At first glance I would like to say it was Age Discrimination, but when thought out logically, I don’t think Age Discrimination is the real culprit. If we say that these people were let go just because of their age, I think we’re missing the point. More importantly, if you find yourself over 45, there is a warning here that you don’t want to miss.

Older workers are usually let go because the organization doesn’t see them adding value for the salary they are earning. They become expendable. The question we need to be asking ourselves, is why? Why do people become expendable?

There are two answers here, and both have to do with leadership. The first is a failure of leadership at the organization level. If a company is run well, it has just enough people to accomplish its mission. No more. No less. This is the ideal business model, but what often happens in time of plenty, is leaders grow complacent. People start to get promoted… just because. Positions are created that don’t really add value to the organization. These positions are filled with people who have been with the organization awhile. Older workers now start to become expendable. Ironically, it is their promotion into a position with debatable value that now causes them to be one of the first to be let go.

Organizational Takeaway – Always… Always… Always, be disciplined about what positions are created during a time of abundance.

The second reason for older workers becoming expendable, is a failure of leadership at the individual level. It is a failure of individuals to ensure that they 1) Are adding value to the organization and 2) That they stay relevant and current. Staying relevant? What do I mean by that? Whenever I teach or speak nowadays, I always mention social networking and technology. Why? Because to stay relevant in the future, you are going to have to understand these two things.

As an older worker, you will become expendable at some point, if you cannot lead the young people of Generation Y that are entering the workforce. This means knowing how to communicate with them. Texting, instant messaging, Facebook, MySpace, podcasting, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Yahoo, Google, GIS, PDAs, etc… are all going to be somehow integrated into the successful companies of the future. Failure to learn these is going to make you expendable.

Individual takeaway – You MUST stay relevant by staying abreast of technology and social networking.

To sum it up… age discrimination is often more about lack of leadership, than a blatant attempt by an organization to get rid of its highest paid employees. There are a lot of older workers who are still in the workforce, because they are perceived to add value. Make sure you’re one of them.

All the best,
All the time,
JT

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Hello Leaders!

Earlier this week, I had the honor of speaking to a group of professionals at the Sacramento Professionals Network (SPN). I say honor, because they were consummate professionals who were wounded corporate veterans, casualties of the economy. There were about 30 professionals there. Project Managers, Accountants, Human Resources Professionals, Social Workers, Technicians. All were motivated, educated and very experienced.

I was there to speak about Project Management as a profession. I felt uncomfortable because these were seasoned veterans of the workforce, not kids coming out of college. They could all teach me a thing or two about life.

As I was speaking, it really hit me – there are people, faces… behind the numbers we hear about everyday. An unemployment rate of 8 – 10% takes on a whole new meaning when you see a group like the SPN. Yes, my pocketbook/business has taken a huge hit this year. Yes, I know a lot of people who have taken pay cuts or furloughs. But I hadn’t  seen a group of highly motivated professionals all in the same room, bravely facing an unknown future. Picking themselves up off the ground. Putting one step in front of the other. Reflecting. Planning. Encouraging each other.

Visiting a group like the SPN is an experience that I think every CEO and politician should have. There are a lot of good people out of work, because of some of the mistakes we have made as a country. Our government at all levels (federal, state, county and city) and corporate America need to get their act together. As individuals, we can forge our own lives, but we live in a country where others have a lot of control over our options. We need our leaders to Lead With Honor. Those at the SPN are.

As a plug for the SPN, if you are an employer with a need, check out their website. You won’t regret it.

All the best,
All the time
JT

I just finished calculating my taxes and completed the ordeal by hitting enter on the keyboard. I cringed as I imagined the electronic dollars floating across cyberspace into Uncle Sam’s coffers. I know we all have to pay taxes… well, most of us anyway. I suppose there are the extreme outliers, the destitute and the super rich, but for the vast majority of us, taxes are just a reality of life.

As I sat here crunching numbers over the past few nights, I relived 2008. Business trip to Denver. Business trip to Ohio. Presentations given. Presentations canceled. Miles driven, meals eaten. Excitement. Disappointment. Success and setbacks. Wow. For some reason, paying taxes this year was emotionally draining.

As I took inventory of the past year, it dawned on me that this was a great exercise. While we reflect and plan in January of each year, the hard reality of numbers during tax season really paints a clearer picture of your business last year.

So, how did you do? Did you make your financial targets? As we are now in the second quarter of the calendar year, now is an excellent time to ask yourself,

“Am I doing what I need to do, to make sure this year is better than the last?”

Remember, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. What are you doing differently? If nothing…. you should take some time off to reassess what you are doing…. so this year will be better than the last.

All the best,
All the time,
JT

Event

In 2007, McKay Hatch was a 14 year old Freshman just starting High School. He was tired of listening to the constant cussing by most of his friends and challenged them to stop. The result? The No Cussing Club which now has over 20,000 member around the world.

Leadership Principle

There are two principles here… 1) You have to stand up for what you believe. 2) Leaders don’t let things get in their way (in this case McKay’s age).

Reflections

1. I am surprised by both the positive and negative reaction that McKay has generated. On the plus side, it is encouraging to know that kids and teens are willing to stand up for what is right. On the negative side, McKay and his family have received death threats over the No Cussing Club. I find it hard to fathom, that someone feels so strongly about cussing that they threaten a young teen to stop trying to bring civility to the world.
2. I have a confession. At one point in my life, I cussed… a lot. They didn’t come up with the phrase “cuss like a sailor” without cause. Having been a Naval Aviator… nuff said. However, at some point along life’s journey, I started to realize that cussing wasn’t such a good thing. That it made people uncomfortable and just showed immaturity and a lack of class.
3. I have run into cussing in the workplace, and it was never a good thing. It always reflected a cocky attitude that prevented others from speaking their minds. Groupthink or a hostile work environment come to mind.

Challenge

Is there cussing in your organization? Is it appropriate? If you think the answer is yes, why do we teach our kids that it is wrong? Stop the cussing in your organization – only good things will come of it. At one client, we started a cussing jar and anyone who cussed during a meeting had to fork over some cash. We used the cash for a pizza party.

McKay and Dr. Phil

All the best,
All the time
JT

While sipping a quad-shot Americano at Starbucks today, I noticed a young woman reading a book on Time Management. She was thumbing slowly through the book, stopping every now and then to read a passage. While watching her, I wondered how successful she was going to be in her endeavor.

Managing Time. What a thought. Let me ask you a question, can time be managed? Believe it or not, the answer is…. no. Time cannot be managed. Time is a concept created by man to measure the passage of… well, time. I don’t want to get too ethereal, but time is relative. A day is measured by how fast the Earth turns around its axis. A year is determined by how long it takes the Earth to circle the Sun. A month is determined by the Moon’s rotation around the earth. Can you control or manage time? No. It is what it is. Based on how we calculate time, you have 1440 minutes in a day… just like everyone else.

So, why do we try to control it? To get more done? To be more efficient? To become happier? If anything, those that try to control time tend to be more driven to succeed and all this tends to do is create stress, not relieve it.

Your goal should not be to manage time. Your goal should be to do the things that are important to you first, and save the less important things for last. Think about it. That is all you have to do. You don’t have to buy a planning system, a calendar or a PDA. You don’t have to buy a book on time management. These things will help you get organized, but won’t help you manage time. All you have to do, is focus on what is most important to you first.

By trying to manage or control time, many of you are trying to become something you are not. You are probably struggling with getting things done around the house or at work. You can’t find enough time to get all the things done that you want to. I have a reality check here…

You are getting done…. exactly what you want to!

Say what?! Yes, you read correctly. If you REALLY wanted to get something done, you would. It would be at the top of your list, and it WOULD get done. It isn’t getting done, because you haven’t placed it at the top of your list for some reason. Case closed.

If at the end of the day you find yourself wishing you had more time, I want to know why? Why are you trying to cram 28 hours of work into a 24 hour day? Perhaps it isn’t time you should be trying to control, but your ambitions. Of course ambition is a great thing, but perhaps… just maybe… you are trying to do too much. There are a lot of statistics to back this up, especially if you have kids. Who says you have to have your kids in piano, soccer, dance and the girlscouts? Why do you have to have the house spotless before going to bed? I know several women who just can’t sit down until the house has been vacuumed and mopped every day. My point – some of our desire to manage time is self imposed. Perhaps the answer is to slow down just a tad and enjoy the ride.

Well… here we are. Bottom line. You can’t control time. All you can do is to do the important things first and ensure you aren’t biting off more than you can chew. Do these things… and life will become less stressful and you’ll find yourself much happier and content.

All the best,
All the time,
JT